
With memories of peak prices in 2007-8 still vivid, manufacturers must keep a close watch on commodity markets. Sudden shifts can have a massive, overnight impact on costs - and worsen food insecurity in developing countries.
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) has said that grain harvests are set to reach record levels in 2013, and wheat production is forecast to recover from last year’s reduced...
French food industry trade association ANIA has warned that the coming months could see up to 5,000 job losses in food sector.
Nestlé has reported slower sales growth in the first quarter of 2013 hit by unrest in the Middle East and a cold start to spring, which affected sales of ice...
Europe’s first quarter (Q1) cocoa grind slumped 3.9% on last year as the debt crisis hampered chocolate demand in struggling economies.
Food and drink production in the EU remained flat in the fourth quarter of last year as some raw materials became costlier, according to data from FoodDrinkEurope.
Alcohol-free malt beverages are big business in the Middle East and there were plenty of varieties on show at Gulfood last week. Symrise brewmaster and category development manager Wilhelm Resanovic...
European sugar traders have come out in support of continued sugar quotas to encourage a more competitive sugar market, according to trade association ASSUC (European Association of Sugar Traders).
The European Commission (EC) has approved the use of pork and poultry meal for fish feed, flying in the face of UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) recommendations.
The European Sugar Users Association (CIUS) has criticised the European Commission’s out-of-quota sugar measures which it claims have left sugar users unable to plan ahead.
Sugar users were dealt a blow on sugar quota reform yesterday, after the European agriculture committee voted to extend the current system to 2020, rejecting a proposal to end quotas by 2015.
The supply and demand balance remains highly uncertain for most agri-commodities – but this is not reflected in futures prices, according to a new report from Rabobank.
Food prices are likely to remain high during 2013 but fell 7% over the past year, calming fears of a renewed food price crisis, according to the UN’s Food and...
Chronic diseases linked to obesity and overconsumption of food are now a bigger global healthcare burden than illness and disease caused by malnutrition, according to the most comprehensive disease report...
Food manufacturers looking to extend shelf life with natural antioxidants have started using blended ingredients in an effort to deal with spiralling raw material costs, according to Frost & Sullivan.
Greater collaboration along the food and drink supply chain from supplier to retailer could help manage ongoing price volatility, according to PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC).
Guar gum prices have dropped a long way from peaks of $20 to $25 a kilo – but there is now a standoff between buyers and sellers, according to hydrocolloids...
High and volatile food prices are on track to become the ‘new normal’, according to the World Bank, which has urged action to support sustainable agriculture, nutrition programmes and safety...
Sugar users in the EU have welcomed plans to release more sugar to the market, while counterparts in the US have condemned the sugar lobby for allegedly exaggerating available supplies.
Flour improvement specialist Mühlenchemie has introduced a new enzyme compound to improve the quality of pasta made from both hard and soft wheat.
Rousselot has said it plans to increase gelatine prices 7% up to low double digit levels for 2013 as continued growth in demand has not been met by raw material supply.
The French Senate rejected its so-called ‘Nutella tax’ on Thursday, which aimed to quadruple the tax on palm oil, a key ingredient in the hazelnut-chocolate spread.
US-produced organic tomato paste could be a cost-effective alternative to European sources, now that US organic certification has been recognised in the EU, according to a global supplier.
The much debated launch of a consistent ‘front-of-pack’ nutrition label is currently the talk of the food manufacturing and retail industry, writes Ian Pickett, joint founder of specialist recruitment agency...
Resource efficiency will be even more crucial for the food industry in the coming year as it fights to prevent production costs from being passed on to consumers.
Ongoing economic turbulence in Europe could have a lasting effect on consumer attitudes to brands and private label products, according to new research into the private label sector from SymphonyIRI.